


Sanctimonia Vincet Semper

by Tiraen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Black Family, F/M, M/M, Manipulative Dumbledore, Pureblood Culture, Pureblood Society, Purebloods, Slytherin, Slytherin Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2014-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-23 23:05:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/932141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiraen/pseuds/Tiraen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Harry Potter goes to Diagon Alley with Hagrid, he meets the Malfoy Family, who are eager to ingratiate themselves with the famous Boy-Who-Lived.</p><p>However, they soon discover that Harry Potter is not who they expected. Even more strange, someone seems to be manipulating his life from behind the scenes.</p><p>The Malfoy's take Harry under their wing and teach him about his heritage and the wizarding world. By the time he arrives at Hogwarts, Harry is every bit a pureblood scion.</p><p>But how will this affect his destiny?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_“Might as well get yer uniform,” said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. “Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts.” He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin’s shop alone, feeling nervous._

_Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve._

_“Hogwarts, dear?” she said, when Harry started to speak. “Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact.”_

_In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length._

_“Hello,” said the boy, “Hogwarts, too?”_

_“Yes,” said Harry._

_“My father’s next door buying my books and mother’s up the street looking at wands,” said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. “Then I’m going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don’t see why first years can’t have their own. I think I’ll bully father into getting me one and I’ll smuggle it in somehow.”_

_Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley._

_(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling)_

 

He frowned. For some reason, Harry had expected wizard’s his age to be, well, different than his cousin, a muggle. Maybe wizard’s were just muggles with magic, after all.

 

 _“Have_ you _got your own broom?” the boy went on._

_(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling)_

 

“No. Actually, I didn’t even know about magic until today.” Harry said stiffly.

The boy gaped at him, looking as if he wanted to lean away from Harry.

“Are your parents _muggles_?” he asked, clearly disgusted.

“No. They were magical, but they died. My aunt and uncle are muggles, though, and they raised me.”

Harry felt oddly defensive. Not that he cared what people thought of the Dursley’s, of course, but he did care what kind of impression he made in the magical world. And he certainly didn’t want people to compare him to his relatives.

The boy looked relieved.

“Oh, so you’re a half-blood. That’s fine, then. I’m Draco Malfoy. What’s your name?”

“Harry Potter,” he answered, his new-found fame in the front of his mind. He wondered if the boy, Draco, had heard of him, and if he had, how he would react.

“Are you really? And you were raised by muggles? That’s awful.”

Malfoy seemed genuinely sympathetic, which surprised Harry.

“Yeah, I guess it is. It would have been amazing to grow up with magic.”

Draco nodded.

 

_“I say, look at that man!” said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn’t come in._

_(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling)_

 

“That’s Hagrid. He works at Hogwarts, so he’s the one who brought me my letter and everything.”

Much to Harry’s surprise, Draco appeared horrified.

“You found out from him? I’ve heard of him, he’s some kind of servant. And they sent him to give you your introduction to the wizarding world?”

Harry just nodded. There wasn’t anything wrong with Hagrid.

Was there?

Malfoy seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, before he grinned widely.

“Would you like to meet my parents? Father’s just next door, and I bet you still have to buy your books anyway. And I think he’d like to meet you.”

Harry was a bit nervous at this question. He had never been to meet anyone else’s parents before. But he wanted Draco to like him, too.

“Alright, I guess.”

“Great!”

They waited a few moments longer as Madam Malkin finished up with their robes, Harry’s dread growing by the minute.

Once she was finished, they both stepped down, taking their packages.

“Come on, Potter.”

As they exited the shop, Harry grinned at Hagrid, before quickly speaking.

“Draco wants me to go meet his parents, alright? I’ll be right back.” 

And before Hagrid could protest, Harry darted inside the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts.

He saw Draco several aisles down, talking to a man with long blond hair, who must be his father. He was tall, and rather intimidating. But Draco had been nice enough, even if he was a bit arrogant, so maybe his father was nice, too.

Slowly, he walked over towards the pair.

“Here he is, father. Potter, may I introduce my father, Lord Lucius Malfoy? Father, this is Harry Potter.”

The man looked down at Harry, an unreadable expression on his face.

“So, this is the Boy-Who-Lived… it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter.”

He held out his hand.

Quite nervous - after all, Malfoy had introduced his father as a _lord_ \- Harry reached out.

“Likewise.”

It seemed to be the safest route, as Harry wasn’t sure what to call a lord.

But before Mr - Lord? - Malfoy could say anything about his manners, Draco spoke up.

“Potter’s just told me that he’s been raised by muggles, father. He didn’t even know that he was a wizard until he got his letter. Who was it that told you, Potter?”

“It was Hagrid. My relatives, well, they didn’t want me to go to Hogwarts,” Harry said, ashamed, but not wanting to lie.

Lord Malfoy raised an eyebrow. “Muggles, really? And I had been curious… In any case, I’m certain my wife would love to meet you as well, especially as you seem to get on so well with Draco. Would you perhaps care to join use for the rest of your trip to Diagon?”

Thoughts were racing through Harry’s mind as he quickly went over his options. He barely knew the Malfoy’s - could he trust them? But then, he barely knew Hagrid, either. And he really wanted a friend in the magical world.

His first friend.

“That would be wonderful, thank you. But Hagrid’s supposed to be taking me, you see, and I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

Lord Malfoy smiled a bit at that, though it wasn’t a very pleasant smile, Harry thought.

“Of course. Perhaps I could speak to, ah, Hagrid for you? I’m certain he would be willing to allow you to accompany us.”

“Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.”

After all, even though Hagrid had come to take him away from the Dursley’s, and Harry thought he would always be special because of that, Harry did want to be friend with someone his own age. Someone like Draco. And if he had to leave Hagrid for now, he was sure that the large man would understand once he explained.

The elder Malfoy had turned an exited the book shop, and Draco was looking at Harry expectantly.

“Well, we ought to get our books, I suppose. Come on.” And he lead Harry away.

“Er, Malfoy? Do you know if they have any books for muggleborns? Not that I am one, of course,” Harry added hastily, “but I might as well be, knowing as much as I do about the magical world.”

Malfoy looked a bit uncomfortable with the question, and a bit angry, too, though Harry didn’t understand why.

“Yes, there are books to introduce muggeborns. But you don’t need any of that, Potter. I’ll tell you what you need to know, and I’m sure mother and father wouldn’t let you go to Hogwarts ignorant.”

Harry wasn’t sure what to think of that, but he just nodded, afraid to offend his possible friend.

The two boys started walking the halls, picking up their required books. In addition, Harry bought a book on wizarding genealogy, per Malfoy’s recommendation.

“It’s self-updating, and every pureblood, or halfblood, I suppose, worth their salt knows their family history.”

Harry was tempted to buy a few more, but only added _Hogwarts, a History_ to his basket, curious about his new school.

By the time Harry and Malfoy were ready to pay, Malfoy’s father had returned. He had a distinctly ruffled look about him, and a bit of a sneer on his face that softened as he looked at the two boys.

“Ah, Mr. Potter. I’ve spoken to Hagrid, and he has agreed to allow you to finish your shopping with us. I expect you both have all of your required books already?

“Yes father.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lucius merely nodded, and lead them both up to the front desk, where he paid for Draco’s books.

Harry handed over a handful of sickles and several galleons, and received four knuts in exchange.

He watched, curious, as Lord Malfoy drew his want from his cane, where it had been concealed. Silently, he flicked his want twice, pointing it at each bag of books. Catching Harry’s look, he spoke.

“A simple feather-light charm. I expect you’ll be learning it in your first year. Now, Narcissa will be getting worried - we were supposed to meet her five minutes ago for lunch. Come along, boys.”

Lord Malfoy swept out of the store, Draco and Harry following him. They made their way down the alley, past Gringotts to what appeared to be another section of Diagon Alley.

It was much less crowded, and the wizards who were present gave off an air of distinct superiority, much like Harry had noticed from Draco and his father.

Finally, they arrived at a black building, silver lettering declaring it to be _The Occamy’s Razor_.

As they entered, a man in fine black and silver robes gave a deep bow.

“Ah, Lord Malfoy, young Master Malfoy. The Lady Narcissa is expecting you.”

“Thank you, Chadwick. And we will be having an addition to our party - may I introduce you to Harry Potter?”

The man was visibly surprised, but quickly gathered himself.

“Mr. Potter, it is an honor to welcome you into my establishment. Please, if you’ll all follow me?”

He lead them through a narrow hallway, lit by torches that glowed silver rather than the orange flame that Harry was used to. Up a winding staircase, and they were in a small but lavishly decorated room, where a woman sat at a table, sipping a glass of water. She stood as they entered, a smile on her face.

“Lucius, Draco. I was beginning to worry.”

She kissed Lucius on the cheek, and did the same to Draco, before she looked at Harry.

“And who is this, Lucius? Has Draco made a new friend?”

Lucius smiled, the first time Harry saw him do so, and for some reason it warmed Harry.

“It would certainly appear so, my dear. May I introduce Harry Potter? Mr. Potter, this is my wife Lady Narcissa.”

Quite unsure what to do in this situation, Harry just smiled and ducked his head shyly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Lady Narcissa looked at him for what seemed like a long moment, before smiling.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Potter. I’m so glad that you could join us.”

And with that, the tension that Harry hadn’t even noticed building disappeared.

Narcissa sat back down, and Lucius sat next to her. He looked at his son, and there seemed to be some kind of silent communication between them before Draco moved to sit next to his father.

That left a seat for Harry between Draco and Narcissa, across from Lucius, which Harry took.

Menu’s appeared in front of them, and the Malfoy’s started perusing them.

Harry, who had never been to a restaurant before in his life, slowly picked his up and began reading.

He was quite bewildered at what he saw.

There were languages of all sorts on the menu, and what was in English might have been Japanese for all Harry understood it.

He must have appeared as lost as he felt, because Narcissa leaned over, resting her hand on Harry’s shoulder. He looked at her, seeing a kind smile on her face, and relaxed.

“Have you ever been to a restaurant like this before, Mr. Potter?” she asked quietly.

“I’ve never been to a restaurant before at all, actually.” Harry whispered back, ashamed. “And, er, please call me Harry.”

Her smile widened, even as she look surprised.

“Of course, Harry. And you must call me Narcissa. Have you gotten your want yet?”

Harry shook his head.

“Alright. I’ll show you what to do, and next time you’ll know.”

He nodded.

Reaching out, Narcissa tapped the menu with her wand.

“English, please.”

The words on the menu wriggled, before transforming before Harry’s eyes, and he could suddenly read everything.

“Thank you,” he whispered, and she smiled at him again.

It was about five minute later when Lucius put his menu down, and Narcissa and Draco followed his lead. Harry, who had just decided, followed suit.

A young woman appeared immediately after, dipping into a shallow curtsy before pulling out a sheet of parchment and a quill.

“What will you be enjoying this evening?” she asked.

Lucius and Narcissa both ordered something in French, as did Draco.

Harry was suddenly terribly uncertain about his choice, but rallied himself and order himself a steak, medium rare.

The waitress nodded, before disappearing behind the purple curtains again.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, as none of the Malfoy’s seemed have anything negative to say about his meal.

Draco glanced at his father, before turning to his mother, seemingly eager to tell her something. She seemed to understand his expression, because she spoke.

“So, Draco. Why don’t you tell me how you and Harry met?”

And with that, Draco launched into the story as if it were some amazing adventure.

“And Potter told me that he was raised by muggles, can you believe it? So I told him that you father would like to meet him.”

“Muggles, really?” Narcissa said, clearly displeased by the news. She turned to Harry, clearly curious. “Who told you about Hogwarts, Harry? Surely not the muggles?”

He shook his head.

“No, it was Hagrid. My relative kept hiding the letters from me, you see, and finally they took me to some hut on an island to get away. Hagrid broke down the door and made them let me go to Hogwarts.”

Harry had been ashamed of the story before, but now, looking only at Narcissa, he was able to tell it.

Narcissa and Lucius exchange a look.

“Might I ask, Harry, what Hagrid told you about the wizarding world?”

So Harry told them, almost word for word, the conversation that had gone on.

As soon as he finished, the meals appeared.

As tempted as he was to just dig in, Harry waited to Lord Malfoy to start, wanting to see which of the many forks it was appropriate to use.

Mimicking Narcissa, he began to eat.

It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

There was silence for a while, as they all began to eat. But eventually, Narcissa turned to him again.

“Harry, I was just wondering - did Hagrid give you anything besides your Hogwarts letter? Any books or anything like that?”

Harry shook his head, mouth full of food.

Narcissa didn’t look surprised at this at all.

They finished their meal speaking of more lighthearted things, Draco telling Harry all about Quidditch.

Once all of them had finished eating, the waitress returned and too their plates away. Lucius turned to Draco and Harry.

“Why don’t you two boys have some dessert? Narcissa and I need a moment to speak to each other.”

Draco nodded, and Lucius stood, pulling Narcissa’s chair out and giving her his arm.

Once they were gone, the menu’s appeared again.

As Harry began to read, Draco leaned over towards him, a conspiratorial grin on his face.

“I bet they’re going to invite you to spend the rest of the summer with us,” he said.

“Really?” Harry replied, barely able to contain his joy at the thought. From what he had seen, the Malfoy’s were the kind of family he had always dreamed of being a part of, if a bit more elegant. He couldn’t imagine spending time with them.

The waitress returned, and Draco ordered tiramisu, while Harry asked for chocolate ice-cream.

The two were enjoying their respective desserts when the elderly Malfoy’s returned.

Lucius pulled Narcissa’s chair out for her, before sitting down himself.

“Harry.”

It was Narcissa that spoke.

“Lucius and I would like to invite you to spend the rest of summer at our home.”

A smile broke out on Harry’s face.

“Yes!” he nearly shouted, before blushing. “Er, I mean, yes, please. That would be amazing.”

Lucius coughed into a handkerchief, and Harry had the sneaking suspicion that he was hiding a laugh.

But something occurred to Harry - something dreadful.

“But what about my relatives? I’m not sure they’ll give permission.”

A dark look appeared in both Lucius and Narcissa’s eyes, but it was Lucius who spoke.

“Don’t worry about that, Mr. Potter. I’ll go to their house personally, and speak to them. If you could give me their address?”

“Of course. Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.”

Draco and Harry both finished their desserts, and Lucius pulled a piece of parchment out from his pocket, as well as a quill. He wrote a quick message, leaving it on the table.

“Narcissa will take you two to finish your shopping, and I’ll speak to your relatives, Mr. Potter.”

Lucius shook hands with Harry, squeezed Draco’s shoulder, and gave Narcissa a brief kiss, before turning on his heel and disappearing with a loud _crack_.

Narcissa smiled at him, explaining. “It’s called apparition. You’ll learn how when your sixteen, and get your license when you’re of age.”

Harry nodded.

She swept out of the room and down the stairs, Draco and Harry following her.

“Since you’re going to be staying with us, Potter, you should call me Draco.” The boy said, quite pompously.

Harry grinned.

“Alright, Draco. Call me Harry.”


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the shopping trip with Narcissa and Draco went fairly normally. Harry was quite shocked, when Narcissa stopped for a moment, and called out a strange name.

“Dobby!”

A small creature appeared. His eyes were huge, like tennis balls, and he was wearing what appeared to be a white pillowcase, a green and black crest emblazoned on his chest.

“Yes mistress? What can Dobby be doing for mistress Cissy?”

“Take our packages back to Malfoy Manor,” she had said, otherwise ignoring the creature.

Harry turned to Draco, a question in his eyes.

“Oh, of course, you wouldn’t know. That’s Dobby, he’s our house-elf. A kind of servant.”

“Oh, okay.” Harry expected that there were going to be plenty more surprises before he was used to the wizarding world.

“Mother, can we get our wands now?” Draco asked. If Harry had just met Draco, he would have thought that the boy was bored at the idea. But now that he had spent some time in his company, he could see the sparkle in his eyes, and the way his mouth twitched a bit in a smile, and even the way his voice was an octave higher.

“Of course, Draco. We’ve gotten everything else, so that’s all that is left, in any case.”

Harry had been waiting for this moment since he read his list. A magic wand! He couldn’t wait. But he was also quite curious where he would buy such a thing.

Narcissa lead them through the alley until they came to an building that seemed older than the ones that surrounded it. Draco held the door open for his mother, and Harry entered the building.

It was dark and dusty, and smelled rather like the wood polish that Harry used to clean with sometimes. He looked around curiously. Aside from a spindly chair and piles upon piles of thin boxes, the store seemed completely empty.

The hairs on the back of his head stood on end, and he took a nervous step backwards. Harry wasn’t sure he liked this place.

He felt Narcissa’s hand on his shoulder, and looked up at her, feeling reassured.

“Ah, Lady Malfoy, young Draco Malfoy. I’ve been expecting you. And Harry Potter, as well. How interesting.”

Narcissa cleared her throat.

“Mr. Ollivander, perhaps-“

But he interrupted her.

“Narcissa Black, you used to be. Acacia and phoenix feather, nine and a half inches. I trust you are caring for it?”

Narcissa nodded shortly.

“Of course, of course. Perhaps young Master Malfoy first?”

Draco stepped forward, obviously combatting nervousness.

“And what is your wand hand?” Ollivander asked.

“My right, sir.”

A measuring tape appeared out of nowhere, and began to measure Draco. First his height, the length of his arms, then from the tips of his fingers to his elbow. As Ollivander wandered into the back of the shop, muttering to himself, the tape measure started to measure much more odd things. It went around Draco’s thigh, around his ankle, and from his nostrils to his earlobes.

Narcissa signed, and when Harry glanced at her, she was pinching the bridge of her nose, her eyes closed.

As he turned back around, Ollivander had reappeared, several boxes in his arms.

“Stop that.” He said, somewhat irritably, and the measuring tape fell to the floor.

“Now, here we are. Walnut and unicorn hair, try.”

Draco took the wand, with absolutely no results.

Ollivander snatched it back, and handed Draco another wand.

“Hawthorn, unicorn hair, ten inches, reasonably pliant.”

Draco took it, and waved it shortly, a grin appearing on his face. A shower of green sparks appeared from the tip.

“Wonderful, wonderful. Now, Mr. Potter.”

Harry stepped forward, even as Draco moved back to show his mother his wand.

“Your want hand?”

“Well, I’m right handed.”

“Very good.”

The measuring tape proceeded to being measuring Harry, much as it had done Draco, and Ollivander once again moved to gather boxes.

Harry wasn’t nearly as quick as Draco to find a wand that suited him. He must have tried a dozen before Ollivander got a rather strange look on his face.

 

_“Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we’ll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple.”_

_Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. (…) Mr. Ollivander cried, “Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well … how curious … how very curious …”_

_He put Harry’s wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, “Curious … curious …”_

_“Sorry,” said Harry, “but what’s curious?”_

_Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare._

_“I remember every wand I’ve ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar.”_

_Harry swallowed._

_“Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen.The wand chooses the wizard, remember. … I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. … After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great.”_

_Harry shivered. He wasn’t sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop._

_(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling)_

 

Harry glanced up at Narcissa, to see her looking at him somewhat oddly. Noticing his gaze, she visibly shook herself before smiling.

“Well, it’s time to get back to the manor. Lucius will be waiting for us, I expect. You’ve never apparated before, right, Harry?”

He shook his head.

“Well, it’s going to feel quite strange. It might make you sick the first time, so don’t feel bad. But it will be over soon. Take my arms, both of you.”

Draco on her right and Harry on her left, Narcissa spun on her heel and disappeared from Diagon Alley.

Harry felt as if he was being sucked through a straw, a scream building in his throat. But before he could let it loose, they had landed.

Harry fell to his knees, dry heaving and trembling.

Narcissa’s hand was rubbing his back, and she muttered soothing words. He felt something come over him, and relaxed.

Blushing, he pushed himself to his feet.

“A calming charm, Harry. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine next time, once you know what to expect,” she said.

He nodded, not for the first time grateful that magic could do such amazing things.

“I expect Lucius is waiting in the blue sitting room. Draco, why don’t you show Harry up to the guest room nearest yours - Dobby will have put your things there, Harry - and then come down to see us.”

“Yes, mother.” Draco said dutifully, taking Harry by the hand and leading him away.

Harry followed, surprised. He was getting his own room? They went up a flight of stairs, and down a hallway to the left. Harry’s eyes wandered - the manor was magnificent, and at least thrice the size of the Dursley’s house.

“This is my room.” Draco said proudly, opening a door that had the silhouette of a black dragon on it. Harry looked inside. It was huge, and filled with all sort of toys and books.

Draco shut the door slowly. “Come on - I want to show you your room.”

A few feet down the hall was another door, and Draco pushed it open. Harry entered, feeling his jaw drop. It was just as big as Draco’s room, decorated in pale blues and greens. As he entered, he was surprised to see that the books they had purchased were sitting on a bookshelf, and his new trunk at the foot of his bed. Even more surprising, however, was the fact that all of his belongings from the Dursley’s were there, few though there might be.

“Wow.”

“It’s great, isn’t it?” Draco said, grinning at Harry. “Better than what the muggle’s gave you, I expect.”

“It’s brilliant. Way better.”

“Come on, Father will want to see you. And I bet you want to hear how it went with the muggles.”

Harry nodded, leaving his new bedroom behind and following Draco down the stairs again. The walked through the manor, Harry hardly able to keep his eyes in front of him for all the interesting painting and artifacts that surrounded him.

They stopped at a closed door, and Draco knocked.

 

[Scene Break]

 

Narcissa made her way through the manor with a worried look on her face. When she had first seen the thin, bedraggled boy that her husband and son had brought to lunch, she hadn’t known what to think. And to find out that it was the Boy-Who-Lived, well. She had certainly been shocked.

After the war, once Lucius had been safely acquitted, Narcissa had inquired after Harry Potter, with the excuse that not only was he her cousin, it was her duty to see that the savior of the wizarding world was content. She had been told, not very politely, that the Potter boy was with relatives and quite happy.

It was quite obvious now that she had been lied to. Not that it was surprising, really.

Entering the sitting room, she saw her husband nursing a glass of amber liquid and looking rather pained. She sat next to him and began to stroke his long hair.

“He isn’t at all what was expected, Narcissa. How am I to hate the boy, when he was treated so cruelly?”

She smiled a bit at her husbands words.

“You needn’t hate him at all, dear. Why, it isn’t his fault that by some accident our Lord was defeated. If anything, it proves that he had the potential to be a powerful wizard. It would be the prudent thing to do to be his ally. And, should the Dark Lord return, as some believe, we will have his enemy ready and willing to join him. Surely we would be rewarded for such an accomplishment.”

Lucius turned to his wife, a soft smile on his face that few were trusted enough to see.

“You are amazing, my love.”

“Of course, Lucius. You married a Black.”

He laughed, leaning over to kiss his wife gently.

“What now, since you’re so brilliant?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes at his words.

“Well, I doubt he’s been seen by a Healer since he was an infant. We should floo Miren, and ask her to look him over. And Severus, as well.”

“Severus?” Lucius was clearly surprised at this.

“Yes, dear, Severus. He’ll be interested in seeing Lily’s son, don’t you think? And besides, he can tell us what Dumbledore told him about the boy’s situation.”

“Yes, of course, you’re right. And Miren would tell him, in any case.”

Lucius stood, setting the half-empty glass down on a nearby table, and knelt in front of the fireplace. Reaching into a pot of glittering powder, he tossed it into the fireplace.

“Healer Rosier’s office, St. Mungo’s,” he intoned clearly. The fire roared and turned green, and he leaned down, his face in the flames. His head spun quite unpleasantly for a moment, until he was looking out into a very neat office that smelled faintly of potions.

“Lucius!” came the surprised exclamation. The woman who had been sitting behind the desk stood abruptly, moving to kneel in front of her fireplace. “What is it? Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Narcissa and Draco are fine. But Miren, we need you to take the rest of the day off. Draco ran into Harry Potter in Diagon Alley today, and apparently he’s been raised by muggles.”

“Muggles!?” she looked appropriately horrified. “So he’s only been seen by those monsters muggles call doctors?”

Lucius nodded solemnly. “Yes, we think so.”

“I’ll inform the Head Healer that it’s a family emergency and be right over. And Lucius?”

“Yes?”

“You _are_ going to floo Severus as well?”

“Of course, Miren.”

“Good.”

She turned, heading out of her office, and Lucius pulled his head out of the fireplace, once again experiencing the unpleasant sensation of his head spinning while his body stayed still.

He knelt up for a moment, rubbing his temples. Talking via floo had to be one of his least favorite methods of communication.

Grabbing another handful of floo powder, he tossed it in.

“Severus Snape’s Residence, Spinner’s End, Cokeworth.”

Severus was absent from the living room, so Lucius waited patiently for the wards to alert him to a visitor.

Soon enough, Severus entered the room, looking distinctly irritated. His harsh expression softened a bit as he saw Lucius, no doubt glad that it wasn’t Dumbledore.

“What can I do for you, Lucius?”

Lucius paused for a moment. How to say this delicately?

“Draco made a new friend in Diagon Alley today.”

Severus didn’t look impressed.

“And?”

“Well, he turned out to be Harry Potter.”

“Surely you didn’t interrupt my potion brewing just for that?” Severus groaned.

“He’s not what we expected, Severus.”

“What do you mean?”

“The muggles raised him. Lily’s sister. He didn’t even know he was a wizard until today.”

Severus sighed, collapsing on the couch.

“Thank merlin you found the boy.”

Lucius was alarmed.

“What do you mean? Surely you didn’t _know_? You may have hated James Potter, but you wouldn’t let his son-“

“Of course not! When I found out, I was, well. I was going to take the boy in myself. I was sure Miren wouldn’t mind. But Dumbledore found out. Made me do an oath not to seek the boy out, or tell anyone where he was.”

Lucius shook his head.

“Why am I not surprised. Come on over, then. We’ve already floo’d Miren, she’s going to look him over.”

Severus looked worried.

“He’s not hurt, is he?”

“No, but he probably hasn’t seen a healer since he was a baby.”

“Right, of course. Miren will be out for blood, I’m sure. She isn’t fond of muggle doctors.”

“I should get back. You’ll come?”

“Of course. I should bring my potions kit, Miren might need something…”

“I’ll see you in a moment, then,”

Lucius pulled his head out of the fireplace, and stood, waving his wand to get rid of the soot that marred his robes and face.

“Well?” Narcissa asked.

“They’re both coming. Apparently Severus knew, but Dumbledore made him take an oath that he would keep out of it.”

Narcissa swore, something that was quite unlike her.

“That man! What is he thinking?”

But before they could continue, the floo roared green and Miren stepped through. She was carrying a lime green bag that matched her robes. Narcissa stood and embraced her, kissing her on the cheek.

“Severus is coming, I trust?”

Lucius inclined his head.

“Of course.”

She set her bag down near the couch. Just then, the fireplace turned green once again, and Severus stepped out.

Miren embraced him, and the two kissed briefly, before moving apart.

The four adult all looked at each other in silence, all wondering what the Healer was going to discover.

There was a knock at the door.

 

 

“Enter.”

Draco pulled the door open, and let Harry enter before following him.

Lucius and Narcissa were both there, sitting next to each other on a couch. But they weren’t alone. A man stood behind the couch, his hands clasped behind his back. He had black, greasy hair that went down to his shoulders, and a long, hooked nose. He was wearing plain, black robes, and had a rather unpleasant look on his face.

In front of the fireplace stood a woman facing the flames. She was wearing lime green robes, the image of a crossed bone and wand on the back. Dark brown hair was tied at the back of her neck in a short ponytail. As Harry and Draco entered, she turned around. There was a stern look on her face, which softened when she saw Draco.

“Aunt Miren! Uncle Severus!” Draco exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace first the woman, then the man. Both of their expression softened at Draco’s enthusiasm.

The woman spoke. Her voice was soft, but Harry could still understand her clearly.

“Why don’t you introduce us to your new friend, Draco?”

“Right, sorry.” Draco said, somewhat sheepishly, as he turned back to Harry.

“Harry, this is my godfather, Severus Snape, and my godmother, Miren Rosier. Uncle Sev, Aunt Miren, this is Harry Potter.”

The man looked at him intensely for a moment before speaking.

“A pleasure.”

The woman, Miren, smiled and moved forward.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Potter,” she said, reaching out a hand to shake his.

“It’s good to meet both of you.” Harry said, shaking her hand. He was smiling, but he could barely contain his nervousness.

“Harry, Miren is a Healer.” Narcissa said quietly.

His nervousness increased tenfold. Harry had never been to a doctor before, just the school nurse, but Dudley had told him all sorts of horrible stories about them. It being Dudley, Harry didn’t know how much of it was true, but he was still a bit afraid.

“A Healer? Is something wrong with me?” he asked fearfully.

Narcissa shook her head. “We just want to make sure that you don’t have to worry in the future, alright?”

He nodded, looking up at the woman in green robes again.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Potter. Healers are very different from muggle doctors,” she said, guessing the source of his anxiety. “Now, do you happen to have any money left from your shopping trip?”

Harry was curious as to this question, but he nodded, pulling out his pouch of coins.

“Good. You need to officially hire me as your Healer. That way, there will be a magically binding contract between us, and I won’t be able to reveal any of your medical information without your permission. How does that sound?”

Harry was rather relieved at this. He knew that he wasn’t in the best of health, and didn’t want anyone who didn’t have to to know of the Dursley’s treatment of him.

“Alright. What do I do?”

“Just hand me a bit of money, it doesn’t matter how much, and say that you would like to hire my services as a Healer. I’ll accept the money, and we’ll be all set.”

Harry vaguely noticed that the other occupants of the room looked a bit surprised at this, but he didn’t really care at the moment.

Pulling out a handful of coins, and not really looking at the amount, he held out his hand.

“Madam Rosier, I would like to hire your services as a Healer,” he said formally, not quite sure where the words came from.

She smiled, and took the money from his hand.

“I accept you as my patient, Mr. Potter.”

Harry felt a bit of warmth in his chest and stomach, as if he had just drunk something very hot, and his fingers tingled.

“There, all set. Would you like me to examine you in private, Harry? That’s your right.”

He nodded, no looking at Draco or the others. He wasn’t sure what a magical exam was like, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Narcissa spoke up.

“We’ve already given him a bedroom. Perhaps there?”

“That would be fine. Mr. Potter, why don’t you lead the way?”

Harry avoided making eye contact with anyone as he lead the Healer out of the room. She was carrying a bag now, and he dreaded thinking about what might be inside it.

Up the stairs they went, and down the hallway, and Harry was at the door that Draco had shown him before. He opened it, and she followed him.

“Now, lay down on the bed, Harry. You can take off your shoes if it’s more comfortable for you.”

Her demeanor had changed a bit, and Harry started to feel more comfortable. She was very professional, and spoke to him like he was an adult.

Harry kicked of his shoes and climbed onto the bed, laying on his back.

“You need to keep very still for about a minute, Mr. Potter, while I cast the spell to get a picture of your health. Alright?”

“Alright.”

“Okay, I’m going to cast the diagnostic spell… be very still.”

Harry concentrated on his breathing. It was a very long minute, but eventually she spoke again.

“Done. Just give me a moment, Mr. Potter.”

He looked over at the Healer, who had clasped her hands behind her back and was staring at the ceiling, muttering under her breath. Harry wondered what she was doing, but didn’t want to distract her.

The healer blinked several times, the glaze over her eyes clearing, and she looked down at Harry, a soft frown on her face. She sat on the bed next to him, stowing her wand in a pocket.

“Harry, would you mind if I asked you a few questions about your relatives?”

Harry shifted on the bed, nervously looking down at the floor.

“I guess.”

“Did you eat with them for every meal?”

Slowly, Harry shook his head.

“I didn’t think so. Do you want to tell me what it was like to live with them? Remember, I won’t be able to tell anyone what you tell me without your permission.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably on the bed. He had never told anyone what it was like living with the Dursley’s, and he didn’t know what to say.

“They had me do a lot of chores, and if I could’t finish, I didn’t eat.”

“I see. Well, Harry, you are malnourished and anemic. You’ll have to drink nutrition potions with each meal until you’re more healthy. I’ll tell the Malfoys about the potions, if that’s alright, but I don’t have to tell them anything else.”

“Okay.”

“There’s something else I have to ask you, Harry. You know your relative abused you by refusing to feed you, right?”

Harry knew, but he didn’t like to admit it.

“Yes.”

“If you would like to, we can take this to the Ministry of Magic, and press charges against your relatives. This would allow you to live with someone else.”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t want to go back to them, but… I don’t want people to know, either.”

Miren smiled at him.

“You don’t have to decide now, Harry. Just let me know if you do. You can write me, or flu me any time.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

“I’m sure the Malfoy’s are wondering what’s taking so long. Ready to go back?”

Harry nodded, standing.

“I’m ready.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate your patience. It's been far too long since I've updated. But I finally finished this chapter, so here it is!

**Author's Note:**

> Sorting through my list of fanfic ideas, I discovered a bit of plotting that I had done regarding an AU in which Harry met the Malfoy's in Diagon. Thus inspired, I started working on the first chapter.
> 
> This is a WIP, and I intend to post each chapter as soon as I have finished and re-read it.
> 
> As I have not done much plotting, I'm not entirely sure where this story is going to go. As such, the summary and tags may change. I am also most welcoming of ideas and suggestions.
> 
> Warning: This fic will include cliches, though I will do my best not to play them completely straight.


End file.
